


Do you have advanced radiation poisoning? Cause' you are glowing!

by changbinloml



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crack Treated Seriously, Cute, Cute Han Jisung | Han, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Seo Changbin-centric, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, confident gays, no death dw, this is a joke but i tried hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29556708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/changbinloml/pseuds/changbinloml
Summary: Soulmate marks are cruel, and Changbin knows this better than anyone; growing up with a death sentence seared into your arm is enough for any person to resent the entire concept of soulmates, though it never stopped Changbin from dreaming about his own happy ending.When Han Jisung quite literally enters his life with a bang, he realises that maybe his soulmate tattoo is not everything it seems.Maybe he reallycanhave his happily ever after.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin
Comments: 9
Kudos: 100





	Do you have advanced radiation poisoning? Cause' you are glowing!

Changbin had known that he was going to die young before he even learned how to walk.

Soulmate marks had always been infamous for their cruelty. Despite the numerous tales of lovers finding their way to eachother, despite the countless coming of age movies that resulted in sickeningly sweet endings, very few people actually had picture perfect stories to pass along to their children. Soulmate marks were unforgiving, cold and harsh and merciless to those who so much as even _dared_ dream for a blissful life tied up in a ribbon.

Changbin had heard numerous horror stories surrounding soulmate marks. Of course, there were the age-old tales used by parents to frighten their children, ensuring that their precious babies wouldn't wander off with a stranger just because they had said the magic words. He had heard the more mild stories, where people had perhaps had spoilers for a large movie franchise imprinted on their inner wrist or phrases that were so inappropriate they had to be covered up. He had heard the heart-wrenching ones, in which people would find their soulmate only to be rejected without a second thought, or where people would find their soulmate just to watch them be torn away from them before they could even begin a life together- and, in some cases, people weren't even born with a mark to begin with.

Nothing seemed to compare to Changbin's own horror story, though- Changbin had never met anyone else with a death sentence seared into their skin.

' _Do you have advanced radiation poisoning?_ '

Changbin often found himself pondering the words, rolling them around in his brain as he thought about the implications. He didn't know how he would end up with the affliction, he didn't know why, but the words were certain, inevitable. Well, it was phrased as a question, so perhaps the answer would be _no_ , but Changbin couldn't conjure up any situation that would prompt someone to ask that unless he looked like he was cursed with a deathly sickness. So, Changbin was sure he was going to die young.

Maybe his soulmate would be a doctor, someone sent to check his vitals, to write down all his symptoms in the little chart they keep at the end of hospital beds. Or- this one was Changbin's favourite- maybe his soulmate would be another patient, and they would live out their last days together in hospital beds that lay side by side, slowly falling in love until one of them met their inexorable end, the other shortly following behind with a broken heart. Changbin's mother thought it was morbid, but Changbin thought it was the best he was going to get; If he was going to die, then he at least wanted someone to love before it all fell apart.

You see, most people had found their soulmates by the age of 25. In fact, it was uncommon to meet anyone over the age of 20 that hadn't yet bumped into their special someone. The universe has a way of making sure all soulmates find eachother before they settle down elsewhere, no matter the circumstances, and it's the one thing everyone that had a mark could count on. Some appreciated the certainty, while others hated it. Changbin was somewhere in the middle- at least he had a vague timeframe of how long he had left to cram all his dreams into his life, but he also knew that he would never get the chance to live like those around him; it was likely that his mother would outlive him, he would never celebrate his 30th birthday, he would never have kids, his own house, he wouldn't have a chance for any of it. He could only be grateful that he wasn't left with false expectations.

Fortunately, to make up for Changbin's shortened life, his parents never held him back from what he wanted. He knew his older sister was slightly bitter, having been forced to go into an area of study that guaranteed her a steady income for the rest of her life, but she understood and even encouraged Changbin's passions more than anyone else. 

You see, Changbin had always felt a calling to music. It began all the way back when he was barely six years old, begging his parents for lessons in whatever instruments took his fancy. He had started with violin, but not long after quit due to how much the chin rest irritated his neck. Piano had lasted a little longer, though Changbin had truthfully found little joy in the instrument and his excitement fizzled out after a few months of lessons. He had joined all sorts of school clubs, from choir to bands, and even taught himself guitar, but nothing quite satisfied his passion. That is, until he started writing lyrics.

Suddenly, Changbin had a voice, a way to express everything that played on his mind. Writing lyrics gave him access to unprecedented amounts of creativity- he could effortlessly weave emotions into his words, tell tales of love and wonder and everything he thought was impossible for him to achieve. His lyrics were poetic, moving and inspiring, and the countless hours he would spend spilling the contents of his heart onto page after page just ensured him that he had truly found his place in the world. Once he had gotten older, his passion had only grown, and soon enough he was producing full songs to go along with his words. 

Full songs that, ultimately, had lead to a full ride scholarship at a renowned music university located just a few towns away from where he grew up.

Changbin had been understandably excited, practically buzzing with anticipation at every hour of the day over the opportunity he had been handed. His parents had been less than enthusiastic about it, forever worried that, should they let him out of their sight, they would just be setting the wheels of fate into motion, but Changbin just reminded them that it was inevitable, and he wanted to live what little life he had left to the absolute fullest. So, with heavy hearts, Changbin's parents had reluctantly let him pack his posessions into boxes and move into the university dorms.

Changbin had settled in quick, instantly clicking with his roommate and getting into the swing of things with ease. In the time between the move and classes starting, he made good use of his newfound freedom, exploring the town and making note of all the sweet nooks and crannies that would make good study spots. Things were going off without a hitch, and Changbin couldn't wait to see how his new life at university was going to play out.

Finally, that brings us to today, where Changbin can be found sitting somewhere in the middle of his first lecture hall, furiously scribbling in his notebook. New places always seemed to inspire him, the unfamiliarity of it all sparking his thoughts and prompting him to spill an ocean of poetry onto the pages before him. He had made it to the hall early, considerably more eager than his peers to get going, thus he had managed to snag himself a seat with a good view, not too close that he'd be picked on but not so far away he wouldn't be able to hear. All in all, Changbin was pretty proud of himself, and he shortly found himself tucking away his book in order to observe the other students slowly trickling into the room.

He began to wonder if any of them would make a permanent fixture in his life- was he looking at a future friend? Or perhaps, maybe even a _best_ friend? That was another thing Changbin had been hoping to get out of university. It wasn't that he didn't have any friends,- gosh no, he had _plenty_ \- but they had all found their own paths elsewhere, and Changbin was far too much of a social butterfly to be satisfied with only video calls. Of course, he would still keep in contact with them, but he hoped to find a new group of people to spend time with face to face.

A small part of his brain had to question, what if he was looking at his soulmate? But he quickly brushed that thought off. Changbin felt perfectly fine, thank you very much, and he highly doubted that a music student would ever need to question the condition of his health.

His attention was momentarily drawn to someone entering the room, a boy with a black beanie pulled unceremoniously over a mop of bleach-blond curls, and dark circles under his eyes that suggested his sleep schedule was far from good. He gave a nod and a small smile as Changbin met his eye, and Changbin did a mental cheer of victory as the boy trudged over to take a seat besides him.

"Hey, hope you don't mind me sitting here. My names Chan,"

"Changbin. And please, I need the company, I don't know anyone yet," He smiled, giving a small wave in greeting. Chan chuckled, nodding at Changbin's words.

"Me neither, it's nice to know I'm not the only one in need of friends," 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Chan began pulling out his necessities, and Changbin resumed his people watching, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. It seemed that most people had arrived, considering the majority of the seats were occupied and a gentle murmur had filled the room, likely because everyone was getting to know eachother. A few more people slipped in, rushing to claim the last spots, though nobody else made a lasting impression on Changbin.

That was, until, the door swung open with far more force than was necessary, the resounding _bang!_ enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room. Changbin almost laughed out loud as he noticed the culprit, a boy that was probably no taller than himself with wide, almond-shaped eyes and just about the _squishiest_ cheeks he had ever seen- though, he clearly had more strength than his appearance suggested. The boy let out a small squeak as he realised everyones eyes were on him, hugging his bag to his side a little more protectively. His surprise only lasted a few seconds, though, as everyone shortly lost focus, resuming their own tasks. Everyone but Changbin.

The boy regained an air of confidence as he scanned over the room, evidently searching for a seat. There were still quite a few free ones dotted here and there, but a part of Changbin hoped that the boy would choose the other one still next to _him_. He was just so cute, and Changbin was already thinking up a multitude of lyrics about his floppy hair and soft features. 

Finally, his eyes fell on the seat besides Changbin, and as a result, his eyes then met Changbin's own. Changbin had never really understood the term 'gay-panic', always assuming people were exaggerating their stories, but he knew he would never question it again as he felt his brain short circuit. The first thought that crossed his mind was, ' _Oh my gosh_ ,' shortly followed by a ' _holy shit_ ,' and then a stream of swear words that Changbin wouldn't dream of saying in front of his mother. You see, Changbin had thought the boy was cute, and then when he looked upon Changbin, he _smirked_ , and that was _hot_ and absolutely not what he was expecting. In that moment, Changbin could honestly say he had never felt more confident about his sexuality.

And then, the boy began to make his way over, and _oh gosh, I'm going to pass away_ was the only sentence Changbin's mind could form.

"You good, bro?"

Changbin tore his gaze off of the boy to look at Chan, who was sporting a concerned expression. Changbin blinked once, then twice when he realised he had been staring so long his eyes had started to burn.

"I'm gayd. Good! I'm good. This is fine, I'm fine, no need to worry!"

Chan raised an eyebrow.

"You don't sound very convinced,"

Changbin awkwardly cleared his throat, preparing to try and dig himself out of the hole he had apparently gotten himself into. Fortunately, though, he felt a tap to his shoulder, rescuing him from any further attempts at conversation.

 _Unfortunately,_ the person trying (and succeeding) to gain Changbin's attention was exactly the person that had caused him to malfunction in the first place.

Changbin glanced him up and down, praying that his face wasn't displaying his current emotions. The boy was even better looking up close, as if that was even possible, and Changbin couldn't tell if he wanted to kiss him, or punch him in the face for making Changbin feel such a way. Belatedly, he noticed a book poking out of the boy's bag, and could just about make out a name scrawled at the top.

 _Han Jisung_.

So, that's the name of the person who had flipped Changbin's entire world upside down. _Jisung_. Changbin had to restrain himself from testing the name on his tongue, not wanting to make an even bigger fool of himself.

He was snapped out of his thoughts upon noticing Jisung taking a deep breath, evidently about to say something. Changbin felt a strange pang of excitement, eager to hear his voice. Something told Changbin that he would not quickly forget it.

Although, despite his anticipation, nothing could have truly prepared Changbin for what Jisung said.

"Do you have advanced radiation poisoning?"

_No way._

"Fuck off," Changbin breathed, his jaw hanging open as he stared at Jisung wide-eyed. It didn't come out harsh, as the words might have suggested, but Jisung froze, his next words dying on his tongue as he mirrored Changbin's expression. They held eachothers gaze, shock evident on both their faces, mixed in with some disbelief and mild horror. Changbin didn't know how long they spent staring, both seemingly far too alarmed to continue the interaction.

Finally, though, Jisung seemed to come back to his senses enough to finish what he was saying.

"... Because you are glowing," He whispered, his shoulders dropping.

Changbin thought about the words, replaying them in his head over and over- ' _Do you have advanced radiation poisoning? Because you are glowing'_.

It was a _pick-up line_.

Changbin felt stupid. Actually, he felt a lot of things in that moment- slightly confused, a little embarrassed, rather dazed, but most predominantly, he felt stupid. His entire life had led up to this very moment- his _entire_ life, he had been preparing to _die_ , a horrible death no less. He had never let himself hope for anything that couldn't be achieved within a few weeks, had never let himself dream of a future past his twenties, yet here it all was, crashing down on him. It was all rather daunting; a small part of Changbin was almost disappointed by the outcome. He felt as if a rug had been swept from underneath his feet and caused him to take a nasty tumble. Emphasis on the word _almost_. The far, _far_ greater part of Changbin was relieved. He wasn't going to die. Suddenly, everything was possible- he could have a life, a family, _anything_.

But he felt stupid, because he could have been aware of that all along if he had just _googled_ the words on his wrist.

And so, he began to laugh.

Jisung's brow creased as Changbin sniggered, then soon broke into peels of laughter. He buried his face in his hands, trying to muffle his mirth, but it was fruitless. He was sure the hilarity of the situation would wear off very soon, but he truly could not stop. 

"Hey! Why are you laughing, this is not funny! I have had 'fuck off' written on my wrist since I was _born_ , do you know how unimpressed my mother was? Hey! _Hey!_ " Jisung exclaimed, though he didn't sound particularly angry. Changbin could even catch a glimpse of an elated smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," Changbin said through his laughter, pulling up the sleeve of his jumper to expose his wrist. "I just- I thought I was going to die,"

Jisung peered at the words carefully, then looked at Changbin with wide eyes, his smile faltering.

"I am so sorry," He said earnestly, prompting Changbin to burst into another round of giggles. People around them were beginning to whisper, probably talking about how crazy Changbin appeared, but he couldn't find it in him to care. 

Jisung finally took the seat besides him, tentatively perching himself on the edge as if he were preparing to sprint out of the room at any second. Changbin managed to collect himself, sitting up straight to face Jisung.

"I'm Changbin, by the way," He smiled, and it only grew wider as he noticed Jisung's sharp intake of breath. "It's really, _really_ nice to meet you,"

Jisung nodded, seemingly needing a second or two to gather his thoughts, and Changbin felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who had malfunctioned at the sight of the other.

"Yeah- yeah, it's nice to meet you too. Oh, um, I'm Jisung, by the way,"

"So, Jisung, are you free after class? I found a great coffee shop the other day, and I'd love to get to know you- coffee on me," Changbin asked, mentally patting himself on the back as he managed to keep his voice steady. Jisung beamed, his eyes disappearing into crescents, and Changbin felt a little breathless as he realised his smile was heart shaped.

"I'm more of a hot chocolate person myself," Jisung responded cheekily, but Changbin knew it was a solid _yes._ "I can't wait, though,"

Changbin reached up to pinch Jisung's cheek lightly, as he had wanted to do since the boy first entered the room. "Cute," He muttered, and huffed a laugh as Jisung's face noticeably turned a shade of red darker.

"Hey, as much as you two making heart eyes at eachother is adorable, class is about to start," a voice piped up from besides Changbin, and he suddenly zoned back into his surroundings; their professor had arrived at some point and was scribbling something on the board, and Chan was looking at them with an eyebrow raised in amusement. Changbin grinned sheepishly.

"Thanks," he mumbled in reply, shifting to face the front. Before they could immerse themselves into the world of music production, though, Changbin leaned over, whispering something in Jisung's ear.

"I'm making you explain my mark to my mother, though,"

The look of horror he recieved was almost enough to send him into another fit of cackling.

So, despite Changbin's previous beliefs, he was not going to die young; in fact, he had all the time in the world, and he couldn't wait to spend it with Jisung. Sure, soulmate marks could be cruel, but sometimes people truly do get their happily ever after- and maybe, just maybe, Changbin will too.

(spoiler alert; he does)

**Author's Note:**

> hihii!!! i hope you enjoyed this, and like always id definitely appreciate hearing your thoughts :))
> 
> this came from a conversation i had with my gf so thank you mimi for inspiring yet another fic :D it was a joke but i rlly wanted to write it so here we are yayy
> 
> you can find me on twitter [@binniesbutt](https://twitter.com/binniesbutt?s=21)
> 
> and my [cc here](https://curiouscat.qa/binniesbutt)
> 
> thank you for reading!!


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